Automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism.



No. 674,826. Patented May 21, mm. c. E. DELLENBABGER.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Sept. 1, 1900.) (N o M o d e l :Eive 22 fol;

' TTED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES E. DELLENBARGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON-REVERSING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,826, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed September 1, 1900. Serial No. 28,793. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. DELLEN- BARGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Ribbon-Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In many varieties of printing-machines such as workmens time recorders, typewriters, and the likean inking-ribbon is used. Usually whenever an impression is printed the ribbon is advanced a short distance by winding it upon one of two spools, to which its ends are fastened, the other spool being allowed to turn freely, so as to permit the ribbon tobe unwound therefrom. When the ribbon has been moved its entire length or as far as desired in one direction, it is necessary to reverse its motion, and this is done by disconnecting one spool from its driving mechanism and connecting up the other spool with suitable driving mechanism.

The object of my invention is to provide novel means in a machine of this character which will act automaticallyto reverse the direction of the ribbon-feed without any care or attentionfrom the operator.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the inside or front plate or frame member of a workmans time-recording machine and so much of the mechanism as pertains to my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation from the left side of Fig. l, the section being taken on the line indicated by 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same mechanism from the left side of Fig. 1.

The invention is shown in connection with mechanism forming part of a workmans timerecording machine, although its applicability for use with other analogous machines is apparent.

Referring to the parts by letters, A A represent the two rotatable ribbon-spools, between which the ribbon R extends and to which its ends are attached. Two ratchetwheels a, a are respectivelyfastened to said spools. Two pawls e e, which are pivoted to an oscillating member G, are adapted to engage, respectively, with said ratchet-wheels, and alternately they are yieldingly held against their respective ratchet-wheels by a spring presser-foot gthat is to say, this presser-foot will for a time hold the pawl 6 against its ratchet, at which time the pawl e is raised above its ratchet, and at other times this condition will be reversed. As shown, both pawls e e are parts of the same pawl-bar E, which is pivoted about midway between its ends to the said oscillating member 0. The presser-foot is on the lower end of a swinging bar G, whose lower end is capable of being moved across the pivot of the pawlbar, whereby the presser-foot will engage with the pawl-bar on one side or the other of its pivot with the result of holding one pawl down and raising the other.

In the construction shown the member C is pivoted to the front frame member F of the machine, its lower end is forked, and a pin It lies between the fork-arms c c. This pin is attached to a plate H, which is an essential part of the particular time-recording machine shown. This plate 11 oscillates about a center and is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow for about ninety degrees whenever the machine is operated by the workman to make a record, and then said plate is moved back again to the position shown by a spring 0 During this movement of said plate the pin h engages first with the fork-arm c and moves the member 0 to the left, and then with the fork-arm c and moves said member 0 to the right into the position shown. This movement moves the pawls, and that pawl which is engaging with its associated ratchet-wheel turns said wheel a short distance once, thereby winding up the ribbon. As before stated, the plate H is a part of the particular time-recording machine shown and for that reason is utilized to operate the member 0; but any other mechanism suitable for the purpose mightbe employed in a workmans time-recording machine or in any other machine employing an inking-ribbon. The swinging arm G, which carries the presser-foot, is pivoted on the same center as the member 0, but is capable of independent movement. The presser-foot in the particular construction shown is a lever pivoted to said arm G, and a spring g operates to cause one arm of said lever to press against the top of the pawl-bar. Mechanism intermediate of one of the ratchetwheels and said arm G is provided whereby said arm is at the proper time caused to move so as to carry the presser-foot over the center of the pawl-bar, which results in pressing down that pawl, or rather that end of said pawl-bar which was before elevated, and elevating the pawl which was before held down in engagement with theratchet-teeth. This periodic movement of said arm G between the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 and.

the position shown by dotted lines in the same figure is caused to take place automatically by means of the following mechanism:

A sliding bar B is pivotally connected at one end with the swinging arm G. This bar is guided, preferably, by means of a pin 70, which passes through a horizontal slot 19 in the bar. This pin it is preferably a part of a stud upon which a freely-rotatable wheel K is mounted. This wheel carries a plurality of pins k, which project from its side at regand advances the wheel K a distance equal to the space between two adjacent pins. If,

for example, there are ten pins, including the long pin on the wheel K, then said wheel will make one complete revolution for every ten revolutions of the star-wheel. The ratchet wheel a has projecting from its side a pin a which is adapted to engage successively with the arms of said star-wheel, whereby to turn it the distance between two adjacent arms.

' If the star-wheel has, for example, six teeth,

as shown, then for every six revolutions of the ratchet-wheel a, and consequently of the ribbon-spools, the star-wheel will make one complete rotation. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, therefore, it takes about sixty revolutions of the ribbonspool to move the wheel K, so that the long pin k thereon, which was engaging with one side of the arm I), will be brought into engagement with the other side thereof. When this long pin k does engage with this arm, it f moves it and the bar G to the rightfor example, to the position shown'and thereby moves the arm g past the center of the pawlbar, with the result heretofore pointed out. After the pawl has reached this new position the ratchet wheels and associated spools thereafter rotate in the opposite direction for about sixty revolutions, until the long tooth k comes into contact with the other side of the arm 1), whereby the bar B will be moved in the reverse direction and the arm 9 will be moved to the left over the center of the pawlbar. These operations will continue indefinitely, with the result of causing the ribbon to be drawn through the machine first in one direction and then in the other.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and two pawls pivoted to said member and adapted to engage alternately with their associated ratchet-wheels, with a movable spring presserfoot adapted to engage with either of said pawls and to yieldingly hold the one with which it is engaging against its associated ratchet-wheel.

2. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and two pawls pivoted to said member and adapted to engage alternately with their associated ratchet-wheels, with a movable spring presserfoot adapted to engage with either of said pawls and to yieldingly hold the one with which it is engaging against its associated ratchet-wheel, and means for shifting the position of said presser-foot.

3. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and two pawls pivoted to said member and adapted to engage alternately with their associated ratchet-wheels,with a movable spring presserfoot adapted to engage with either of said pawls and to yieldingly hold the one with which it is engaging against its associated ratchet-wheel, and mechanism intermediate of one of the ratchet-wheels and the presserfoot whereby the position of the latter is shifted. A

4. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and a pawl-bar pivoted to said member and carrying pawls at its opposite ends and adapted for engagement respectively with said ratchetwheels, with a movable spring presser-foot adapted to engage with said pawl-bar on either side of its pivot.

5. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and a pawl-bar pivoted to said member and carrying pawls atits opposite ends, and adapted for engagement respectively with said ratchetwheels, with a pivoted arm, and a presser-foot carried at the lower end of said arm and adapted to engage with said pawl-bar on either side of its pivot.

6. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and two pawls pivoted to said member and adapted to IIO engage alternately with their associated ratchet-wheels, with a movable spring presserfoot adapted to engage with either of said pawls and to yieldingly hold the one with which it is engaging against its associated ratchet-wheel, a sliding bar adapted to move said presser-foot, the wheel K having a plurality of pins of which one is adapted to engage with said bar, a star-Wheel having a long tooth adapted to engage with said pins, and a pin carried by one of said ratchetwheels for operating said star-wheel.

7. The combination of two ribbon-spools, two ratchet-Wheels respectively attached to said spools, an oscillating member, and a pawl-bar pivoted to said member between its 

